Some detained and undetained defendants and their lawyers attended the hearing held by the Istanbul 1st High Criminal Court in the hall opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution.

At the hearing, relatives of the defendants and some CHP executives and party members attended as spectators. Gendarmerie personnel took intense security measures in and around the hall. The hearing continues with the requests of the lawyers being received.

FROM THE INDICTMENT

In the 579-page indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Beşiktaş Municipality, Avcılar Municipality, Esenyurt Municipality, Istanbul ASFALT Factories San. and Tic. AŞ and Istanbul Electric Tramway and Tunnel Enterprises General Directorate are listed as “damaged by crime”, 19 people are listed as “victims” and 200 people are listed as “suspects”.

In the indictment, Aziz İhsan Aktaş, one of the defendants, was accused of “forming an organization for the purpose of committing a crime”, 42 different acts of “tender rigging”, 4 different acts of “rigging the execution of an act”, 5 different acts of “forgery of official documents”, 21 different acts of “forgery of private documents”, “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, 10 different acts of “bribery”, “property resulting from crime”. It is requested that he be sentenced to 187 to 450 years in prison for the crimes of “laundering assets” and “issuing false invoices” and that the assets he obtained from the crime be confiscated.

In the indictment, which requested that Avcılar Mayor defendant Utku Caner Çaykara, who was suspended from his duty after his arrest, be sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison for 2 different acts of “tender rigging” and “taking bribes”, Esenyurt Mayor defendant Ahmet Özer, who was suspended from his duty, was sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison for 2 different acts of “tender rigging” and 2 different acts of “forgery of private documents”. It is foreseen that he will be punished with up to imprisonment.

In the indictment, it is requested that Seyhan Mayor defendant Oya Tekin, Ceyhan Mayor defendant Kadir Aydar, Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor defendant Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Mayor defendant Abdurrahman Tutdere, who was suspended from his duty and reinstated after the judicial control against him was lifted, be sentenced to imprisonment from 4 to 12 years each for the crime of “taking bribes”.

Additionally, in the indictment, the suspended Beşiktaş Mayor, the defendant Rıza Akpolat, was accused of “being a member of a criminal organization”, 26 different acts of “tender rigging”, 3 different acts of “forgery of official documents”, 19 different acts of “forgery of private documents”, “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, 4 different acts of “taking bribes”, “laundering of property values resulting from crime” and “wrongdoing”. He is asked to be sentenced to 133 to 337 years in prison for “acquisition of property” crimes and the confiscation of the assets he acquired through crime.

“OUR MARTYRS ARE MARTYRS OF ISLAM”

In his speech at the AK Party TBMM Group Meeting, Erdoğan emphasized that Islam is in the foundation of the Turkish nation.

Pointing out that what makes a nation a nation and what keeps the nation together despite all kinds of differences are spiritual values, Erdoğan said that the army is also the “house of the prophet”.

Erdoğan said, “Our martyrs are the martyrs of Islam. Our victories are victories in the direction of ilayi kalimatullah. When you take away the call to prayer, the Quran, the love of the prophet, Ramadan, fasting, zakat and alms from the foundation of this nation, there will be no history, no future, no nation or state left.” he said.

The words of the National Anthem: “These adhans whose testimony is the foundation of religion/I should moan from above my eternal homeland.” Reading his verses, Erdoğan stated that the adhans will wail over the eternal homeland, and thus, no one will be able to raise their hand or tongue against the independence of the nation that worships God.

“We are the children of a nation that has established great empires and built great civilizations.” Erdoğan said, “The Quran, the love of the prophet, faith and fasting are the basis of our great states that have brought peace to three continents throughout history, and the basis of our civilizations that have guided the world. Ahmet Yesevi, Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, Yunus Emre, Mevlana, Ahmedi Hani and many more have mixed the mortar of this country and this nation with the loud voice of Islam.” he said.

“NO ONE CAN WALK A FINGER AT US WITH UGLY AND UGLY STATEMENTS”

Underlining that when the Adhan, the Quran, the Prophet, Yunus Emre, Hacı Bektaş Veli are forgotten, nothing will remain of the nation, Erdoğan said:

“No one should try to give us a lesson on minority rights. No one should try to give us a lesson on freedom of belief. We are not a nation that will learn these values from outside. We are a nation that has taught these values to the world and will teach them to the world. We have been in these lands for a thousand years. There have been Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Sunnis, Alevis, Christians, Jews and many more in these lands for a thousand years. While different sects were slaughtering each other in Europe, our ancestors established the unique scales of living together in these lands. Those who want to see freedom of belief Let him look at Türkiye and learn from it. Those who want to see a fair approach towards different beliefs should look at Türkiye and learn from it. We do not need to import foreign concepts and values from abroad. We have endless respect for every belief, every sect, every spiritual value. We also defend and protect the national and spiritual values that make this country a homeland. “No one can point a finger at us with their projects, minds contaminated with imported ideologies, and ugly and filthy declarations.”

President Erdoğan stated that in previous periods, there were people who were disturbed by the call to prayer, the Quran, the mosque, prayer, fasting and Ramadan, and that they attempted to invade the country and tried to take the veil of Anatolian women, and that the necessary lesson was taught in the War of Independence.

Pointing out that the nation will do the same thing again when the same dirty hands reach out to the same sacred and magnificent values, Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

“If anyone insists on not learning from history, welcome. Turkey will grow as Turkey, no one should forget this. We will grow with our own essence, our own spirit, our own state, nation and civilization values. We will rise from where we fell, not by imitating others, but as ourselves, as ourselves, as Turkey, we will rise from where we fell, we will stand up, and together with 86 million people, hand in hand, heart to heart, we will build the Turkish Century with our own values.

On this occasion, I would like to congratulate our Minister of National Education, our entire national education community, especially our teachers, and of course our beloved students. I embrace each and every one of our children, who have turned our school gardens and mosques into flower fields, with love, and I say, may the prayer of God never fade from their lips and the love of Prophet Muhammad Mustafa from their hearts. “Turkey is much bigger than thought, and we will continue to show this greatness in the field of national education, as in every field, and to make it known to the people of the century with healthy, knowledgeable, well-equipped generations who know, recognize, implement and keep alive their national and spiritual values.”

“WE CONTINUED OUR CONSTRUCTIVE AND OPEN TO COMPROMISE ATTITUDE DURING THE REPORT PHASE”

In his speech at the AK Party TBMM Group Meeting, Erdoğan stated that they are taking firm steps towards their goals despite the traps set for democracy, attacks on the unity and well-being of the nation, and games that try to force them into shallow and fake agendas.

Noting that significant progress has been made and promising developments have been made in the “Terror-Free Turkey” process, which they started last year as the People’s Alliance and carried out as a state project, Erdoğan said:

“The latest National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy Commission completed its negotiations and opinions, which it has been carrying out since August 5, last week. The final report was approved with 47 votes in favour, 1 abstention and 2 rejection votes, with the consensus of all political party groups represented in the commission. As the AK Party and the People’s Alliance, we continued the constructive and compromise-friendly attitude we have exhibited since the first day, at the report stage. In order for the commission to properly fulfill its mission, we take risks at critical junctions.” “We did everything we could, including entering the parliament. Both our Speaker of the Parliament and our friends representing our party within the commission made an extraordinary effort. We did not allow the commission to deviate from its focus and be diluted with agendas that had nothing to do with the purpose of its establishment. Thank God, we managed to pass another stage of the process successfully with the contribution of other political party groups.”

“THE PROCESS REPORT IS A HISTORICAL DOCUMENT”

President Erdoğan emphasized that the National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy Commission listened to 137 institutions and individuals, 4,200 pages of minutes were kept in the Commission, and the report prepared after a comprehensive consultation process presented a very valuable road map on what needs to be done from now on.

Erdogan continued as follows:

“I would like to express frankly that the report, which was written as a result of complete democratic maturity, complete consultation and a political compromise rarely seen in our political history, is a historical document as well as a recommendation document. The report is a very valuable signature put on Türkiye’s common future and the strengthening of the brotherhood of 86 million people. It is obvious that those who are eager to speculate by tweezing the words from the report do not serve the well-being of the process. The pleasing aspect of the issue is the report and the process The fact that those who want to overshadow it is in the minority and the majority of our nation fully embraces the goal of ‘Terrorism-Free Turkey’. We find the spirit of consensus that marks the report very valuable. The political institution has gathered both serious energy and great confidence, especially in terms of the steps to be taken from now on. The responsibility of our party and our alliance will of course increase in the new phase. “We are entering a period in which we need to maximize the solidarity, coordination and cooperation between us.”

“WE HAVE TO GROW OUR HOPE AND EXPAND OUR COMMON GROUND”

Erdoğan stated that they will manage the new phase of the process with peace and quiet, and that they will first achieve the goals of “Terror-free Türkiye” and then a terror-free region, and used the following expressions:

“In every step we have taken so far, in every decision we have made, in every policy we have implemented, we have acted in a manner befitting the seriousness of our state, without hurting our martyrs’ relatives and veterans. We will continue in the same way, we are determined to do so. Being a great state is possible by thinking big. We are a great state with its history as well as its conscience and mind. We are a great nation that has given order to humanity for centuries. That is why we will think big. We will trust in the power of the Republic of Turkey. We will continue in the eternal brotherhood of the Turkish nation until the end.” “It is a fact that Turkey has achieved a historic opportunity to become a regional and global power as a result of 23 years of hard struggle. We will not allow this. I believe that our nation will not allow it. We cannot build our common future, especially on the pains that leave a mark on our memories. We have to raise our hopes and expand our common ground.”

Emphasizing that their expectation from other political parties is that they continue their democratic, conciliatory, positive and reasonable stance in the commission and in the Parliamentary work, Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

“No center of mischief has ever been able to stand in the way of the thousand-year-old brotherhood. Today, if anyone tries to stand in the way of this flood of embrace and love that spills beyond our borders, that flood will drag everyone in front of it and sweep them away from these lands. We will fight for a Turkey where everyone is one, together and live in peace and brotherhood, not on the side that increases hatred and anger, as we have done for 23 years, but on the side that defends justice, rights, law and democracy, and we will never hesitate to make sacrifices when necessary for this cause.”

In response to a question from a press member during his exit from the Parliament, President Erdoğan said that İmralı is a prison run by the Ministry of Justice.

Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran attended the ‘Türkiye-Somalia Relations in the Global Transformation Process Panel’ held at the Directorate of Communications. Federal Republic of Somalia Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Abdülkadir Muhammed Nur, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Somalia Daud Aweis Jama, the Somali delegation and many guests also took part in the program.

Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran pointed out that Türkiye’s approach to Africa is different from other countries and said, “Evaluating Africa with one-dimensional readings is to miss the real story of the continent. Africa is the continent of ancient civilizations, unique natural beauties and rich cultural diversity. Today, Africa is becoming one of the new centers of attraction of the global economy with its young and dynamic population, resource wealth and regional integration steps. For this reason, we approach our relations with Africa with the understanding of equality, mutual respect and common gain. Investment, trade, technology, “We aim to produce more together, grow together and build a future together in many areas including education, infrastructure and defense industry. Because we believe that the rise of Africa is a strong opportunity not only for Africa, but also for a fairer and more balanced international order on a global scale,” he said.

‘WE ARE AGAINST ISRAEL’S INITIATIVE IN SOMALILAND’

Duran said, “Any initiative that targets the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia and attempts to legitimize this is never acceptable. Turkey stands by Somalia today, as it did yesterday. We see standing against such impositions as a principle, not a choice, and we will never step back from this principle. We are clearly and clearly against Israel’s attempt to recognize Somaliland. We are against Israel’s genocide in Palestine and its regional politics.” “We will not tolerate it carrying its aggression to the Horn of Africa. We consider this step as an extremely dangerous move that harms the delicate security balance of the region and drags the Horn of Africa into uncertainty,” he said.

‘SPACE BASE PROJECT WILL LEAD TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES’

Emphasizing that the cooperation between Turkey and Somalia has expanded, Duran said, “We bid farewell to the Çağrı Bey ship, which will drill off the coast of Somalia, as previously announced by our President. Let us not forget to mention our cooperation to develop Somalia’s technical capacity in the field of fishing. Finally, I would like to mention our space base project, perhaps our most important cooperation in Somalia. In addition to increasing the international prestige of Turkey and Somalia, this exciting project creates new opportunities in many areas such as security, defense industry and technology sharing.” “I foresee that it will lead to opportunities. In the coming period, we aim to deepen the Turkey-Somalia partnership not only in the current topics, but also in a wide range of areas, from maritime to food security, from renewable energy to digital transformation, from education to health, logistics and investments. Thank God, these are very good developments and it is possible to extend this list. Our aim is to contribute to the common prosperity of the two countries with projects that create capacity in the field and increase the institutional power of Somalia.”

Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin made important statements in the live broadcast he attended on A Haber. Responding to the ‘secularism declaration’ with 168 signatures, Minister Tekin said, “Those who wrote this declaration are the reactionary minority.”

THERE IS NO SITUATION TO EXCESS

Minister Tekin said, “I have not yet seen any criticism that I would take seriously in a pedagogical or academic sense.”

Some people say things with different accusations, different definitions and prejudices, but they have no scientific basis. Our main concern is that our children come to school with pleasure and enjoyment, and that they learn by having fun. It is quite natural for them to come one day with the anthem of their favorite football team, there is no need to exaggerate this. In sociological terms, the social structure, history and civilization of every country develops through children’s games. In our games, children learn cooperation and solidarity. That’s why we wanted environments where our traditional children’s games are played in our school gardens.

MAIN DUTIES

We wanted our children to start with awareness activities that will make peace, human rights, democracy and the rule of law dominant in our country and that they will understand that our flag is an instrument that offers us these areas. Referring to the fact that this is one of the main duties of the Ministry of National Education from the constitution and our relevant legislation, especially the National Education Basic Law No. 1739, we wished to organize a Ramadan event on volunteering.

RESPONSE TO THE SECULARISM DECLARATION

The definition of secularism that I have gained from all these years of reading; They are political regimes where people’s freedom of religious belief and worship is guaranteed. Contrary to this stance, the oppressive attitude towards the faithful is anachronistic. These groups ignore the joyful atmosphere in schools and the excitement of children. In a country where 99 percent are Muslims, those who describe the lively children in schools and these enthusiastic activities as ‘the provocation of the reactionary minority’ are the real reactionaries. People who define themselves as artists and intellectuals have no right to insult this nation.

“I WILL TAKE IT TO JUDICIAL”

On behalf of the community I represent, our students and parents who voluntarily participate in these events, I decided to take the matter to court, considering that these serious insults are a series of crimes that definitely require an apology. We will take the process to court. ANKARA

INDIGISM OF THE KNOWN GUARDIAN CORONA

168 writers, artists, academics, journalists and professional chamber representatives, including Korkut Boratav, Oğuzhan Müftüoğlu, Hayri Kozanoğlu, Merdan Yanardağ, İlhan Cihaner, Melike Demirağ, Ayşe Kulin, Müjde Ar, Şükrü Erbaş, Rutkay Aziz, Canan Güllü and Timur Soykan, signed a joint statement. In the text titled “We Defend Secularism Together”, it was stated that “Defending secularism is not a crime. We defend secularism together, we reject sharia impositions! These moves have come to the point of ignoring the provocations and attacks of the reactionary minority against the calls for secularism rising from the society, and punishing those who defend the secular republic – disregarding the Constitution – as if they were ‘criminals’. Defending secularism is not a crime.”

The importance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s calls for “strong family, strong Türkiye” and “at least three children” was once again revealed with TÜİK’s 2025 data; The announced statistics showed that the family institution needs to be supported.

552 THOUSAND 237 MARRIAGES

Marriage and Divorce Statistics for 2025 announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) revealed that marriages are decreasing in Türkiye and divorces are continuing to increase. The number of couples getting married, which was 569 thousand 983 in 2024, decreased to 552 thousand 237 in 2025. The number of divorced couples increased from 188 thousand 963 in 2024 to 193 thousand 793 in 2025.

İZMİR RANKS FIRST IN DIVORCE

The province with the highest divorce rate in 2025 was Izmir. İzmir was followed by Antalya and Denizli. The lowest divorce rate was seen in Hakkari. This province was followed by Şırnak and Bitlis. According to the duration of marriage, the data showed that the risk was especially concentrated in the first period of marriage. In 2025, 34 percent of divorces occurred in the first 5 years, and 20.3 percent within 6–10 years. This reveals that the early years of marriage are the most fragile period. 191 thousand children were affected by divorces. As a result of divorce cases finalized in 2025, 191 thousand 371 children were given into custody. In the custody distribution, the ratio was 74.6 percent mother and 25.4 percent father. The data showed that post-divorce child care responsibility largely remained with mothers.

AGE DIFFERENCE HAS REDUCED

Statistics revealed that the age of marriage was postponed to older ages for both genders. While the average age at first marriage was 28.5 for men, it was 26 for women. The data shows that the province with the highest marriage rate in Türkiye was Gaziantep with 7.76 per thousand, followed by Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa. The lowest marriage rate was seen in Tunceli with 4.18 per thousand. Gümüşhane was the second province with the lowest marriage rate, and Ardahan was the third.

FOREIGN BRIDES MORE

IN 2025, while the number of foreign grooms constituted 1 percent of the grooms with 5 thousand 347, the number of foreign brides reached 5.2 percent of the total brides with 28 thousand 646. Among foreign grooms, Syrians came first (20.9%), followed by Germans (18.8%) and Afghans (5%). Among foreign brides, Syrians (13.8%), Uzbeks (13.7%) and Moroccans (9.6%) were the top three.

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, took action after the National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy Commission announced its report. Kurtulmuş started his political party tours regarding the necessary legal regulations. Kurtulmuş first visited MHP.

Chairman Devlet Bahçeli welcomed Kurtulmuş at the door. Making a statement after the meeting, which lasted about half an hour, Kurtulmuş said, “Türkiye is at a critical threshold. After long negotiations, the text that the parties agreed on emerged.”

Kurtulmuş, who later met with CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, said, “The commission report came out in a way that all parties agreed on. A work that will set an example for the world has been put forward.”

Kurtulmuş finally met with DEM Party Co-Chairmen Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan.

Kurtulmuş said, “We will build a Türkiye where all ethnic identities are at peace.” Today, Kurtulmuş will visit the New Path Party on the 15th and the AK Party on the 16th.

Meanwhile, Turkish Grand National Assembly

President Kurtulmuş met with foreign mission chiefs and ambassadors in Ankara at the iftar program. In his speech here, Kurtulmuş said that the legal regulations to be made along with the complete liquidation of the terrorist organization and the complete disarmament of the terrorist organization as soon as possible will leave the 50-year conflict period in Türkiye behind.